Ten Things to Do in Houston for $10 or Less (Seven Free), August 17-23

For anyone looking for a good time on the cheap, and especially those of you who've drained your bank accounts on back-to-school supplies, we've got you covered. From an opera open house to a bluesy grape stomp, a superheroine-themed art show to a solar eclipse-themed party in the park, none of these events will leave you with empty pockets. Keep reading for ten of our favorite events that won't cost you more than $10 — and seven of them are free! Check out the Houston Press calendar for even more things to do.

Look beyond a common Texas myth with Andrew Torget at The Heritage Society.

Film and Psychoanalysis: LionThe Jung Center 7 p.m. Thursday, free Saroo Brierley’s story is an amazing one. At the age of five, he got lost, separated from his mother in India, was found almost a thousand miles away, taken to a government center for abandoned children and eventually adopted by an Australian couple who took him to Tasmania. Brierley found his way home over 20 years later with a little help from Google Earth, and it’s this story that’s dramatized in 2016’s Lion. Screening as part of The Jung Center’s Film and Psychoanalysis series, Zürich-trained Jungian analyst Jennifer Embry will be on hand to discuss the film’s portrayal of loss, profound searching and what it means to be found.

Mysterious, by Leila McConnell, is on display as part of “Celebrating Houston’s Founding Modernists: Featuring David Adickes, Henri Gadbois & Leila McConnell” at William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art.

Photo courtesy of the artist and William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art

“Celebrating Houston’s Founding Modernists: Featuring David Adickes, Henri Gadbois & Leila McConnell”William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art 10 a.m. Friday, free Stop by William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art on Friday for their 12th season opener: three solo exhibitions from Houston artists David Adickes, Henri Gadbois and Leila McConnell, plus an assortment of works from their contemporaries. “In the Beginning” shines a spotlight on Adickes’s early work; Gadbois’s “Texas Woodlands” features his works on Texas’s woodland landscapes; and McConnell’s “The Search” is comprised of her “sky paintings” and collages. And note: After checking out the exhibits, you’ll probably want to make plans to come back Saturday for the opening reception and artist panel, moderated by Bill Reaves and featuring all three artists.

Take Two: Captain America: Civil WarHouston Museum of Natural Science 7:15 p.m. Friday, $5 DC may have grabbed the box office and a lot of headlines this summer, but Marvel is still winning the superhero arms race and films like Captain America: Civil War show why. The hero versus hero team-up movie sees Cap and Iron Man falling on two very opposing sides, with directors Anthony and Joe Russo successfully incorporating some heavy themes, balancing a lot of storylines and even introducing new characters. With Avengers: Infinity War less than a year away and Marvel set to release about three movies a year for the foreseeable future, rest assured the superhero bubble has not yet burst.

Every 20 minutes a live performance will take place at the Opera in the Heights Open House.

Photo by Deji Osinulu

Opera in the Heights Inaugural Open HouseLambert Hall 9 a.m. Saturday, free In the spirit of their 22nd season theme, “Emerge and Discover,” take a peek behind the curtain at Opera in the Heights’ first open house, an opportunity for anyone with an interest in opera to come out to Lambert Hall to learn more about it while partaking in some delicious breakfast bites or popcorn, face-painting, photo ops and giveaways (like tacos from Taco Deli). Of course, there will also be opera – live performances taking place every 20 minutes and chances to meet the Opera in the Heights singers. And, since you’re interested in budget-friendly activities, be sure to inquire about subscription and ticket discounts while you’re there.

Plan for grape stomping and a blues concert at Haak Vineyards & Winery on Saturday.

Courtesy of Haak Vineyards & Winery

Grape Stomp with Little Terry and the BluesbirdsHaak Vineyards & Winery 5 p.m. Saturday, $10 Come out to experience the 25,000 square feet of the first winery and only commercial vineyard in Galveston County with Haak’s popular Grape Stomp, this year featuring a harmonica-driven blues concert from Little Terry and the Bluesbirds. Award-winning Haak wines and gourmet concessions will be available (with food service starting at 5 p.m.) and Little Terry and the Bluesbirds will go on at 6 p.m. Expect quite a crowd so be sure to bring your own lawn chair, and if you see this in time, buy your tickets in advance by August 18 for only $7 (children 12 and under are free).

Celebrate female superheroes at Hardy & Nance Studios at the "Fight Like a Girl" art show. Artists from left to right: Miz R, David Anderson and Snater George.

Photos courtesy of the artists and East End Studio Gallery

"Fight Like a Girl: Comic Heroine" group art showHardy & Nance Studios 6 p.m. Saturday, free This may well be remembered as the summer of Diana of Themyscira (daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons) as Wonder Woman reigned over the box office, earning $400 million in North America alone while also being the first female-led superhero flick also directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. East End Studio Gallery will capture some of the magic still in the air in their “Fight Like a Girl” art show, where all the work on display will reference and reflect female comic superheroes and all that they embody, their strength and grace reminding us that we are all (and can be) heroes.

GhostbustersMain Street Square 8 p.m. Saturday, free Eighties comedies get no better than 1984's Ghostbusters. At the time, the film was the most expensive comedy made to date but has since proved to be well worth it, spawning a franchise that's included toys, two animated series and last year's reboot. Still, we've never stopped returning to the battle between the four paranormal investigators and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man on Dana Barrett's New York apartment-building roof, so make the trip downtown to see it on the jumbo LED screen Saturday. Chairs will be provided and food trucks will be on hand for snacking purposes.

Check out the first visible solar eclipse in the U.S. since 1981 at Levy Park with the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Courtesy of Lunar Planetary Institute

Eclipse Over HoustonLevy Park Noon Monday, free If you haven’t heard yet, on Monday the moon will pass directly between the Earth and the sun, resulting in the first solar eclipse visible over the United States since 1981. To experience the partial eclipse we’ll be seeing here in Houston, pack a lunch and make your way over to Levy Park, where folks from the Lunar and Planetary Institute will be gathered and safe, solar viewing glasses will be available. If you can’t make it out to Levy Park, try the sister event at the Clear Lake City-Harris County Freeman Branch Library, and remember, don’t look directly at the sun without proper viewing equipment.

Natalie de la Garza is a contributing writer who adores all things pop culture and longs to know everything there is to know about the Houston arts and culture scene.